4 Now when He was through speaking, He said unto Simon, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draft.”5 And Simon answering said unto Him, “Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing. Nevertheless, at Thy word I will let down the net.”6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net began to break (Luke 5:4-6, KJ21).
Our ears hear words. They come into our mind as pieces, that join together into a recognized thought. If the thought or idea has meaning and significance, then we might contemplate it longer. As we contemplate the thought or idea, it may or may not resonate with other beliefs to direct us to think or do something. Faith, is first encountered in the seeing or hearing of the words, but then it requires the acceptance or rejection of the thoughts.
For our faith to be alive, faith must also come against things we see and hear that seem illogical and irrational. Faith is not just seeing and hearing things significant to our faith while at the same time but hearing and seeing what is beyond listening. Faith shouts in the face of what we see and feel and demands trust and obedience to do what makes no sense to our minds. Faith calls and shouts beyond our reality, to do something different. We shout back our responses in the form of reasons and arguments for not following in faith. New life will always be in the following the call of faith and not in the resistance or rejection of the action faith demands.
Everything in the mind of Peter resisted the request of Jesus, as nonsense. Every muscle in Peter’s tired body rebelled at any effort to repeat any attempts at fishing again after such a useless night of trying for a catch. Jesus was demanding faith from Peter, from which would come a reward beyond all reasonable expectations. Faith in Jesus was like that for Peter, and faith in Jesus is like that for us. Jesus was Peter’s Savior and Jesus is your Savior. Listen to your Savior and trust him in obedience. Go out deeper waters requiring deeper faith. Cast out again in the sea of life and find the amazing catch … Jesus has in store for you.
